Hello all, I am new to the board as I have just acquired a Valveking 212. I've been monitoring the board awhile since I got the amp and picked up a lot of good info but I still have some questions. (Sorry if ask about something that has already been covered)

I traded some old stereo equipment and speakers for the amp knowing that I would have problems with the effects loop, so I know I need to get that fixed but if I use a patch cord in there I can position it just so and it works fine. I wanted the amp because I borrowed a friends VK112 for a gig and loved the way my strat sounded through that. It was stock, no mods or tube changes, but it doesn't sound near as good through the 212. I haven't done anything to the 212 as it is stock as well.

My question is, has anyone done any experimenting with chokes, output trannys and such? Do the 212's just have their own voice compared to the 112? (obvious differences aside, speakers & watts)

I play standard rock, blues and funk, covers and originals and I keep the gain at about 3 o'clock and I use very few effects. I have an Egnater Renegade 112 also but seems to be more suited to my Les Paul and not so much the Strat. I guess my sound would be along the lines of Zep, Styx or Aerosmith. I have been playing about 30 years and will continue for 30 more if i can. Thanks for the help.

PAF Classic Series Tube Kit.......Created By Classic30inCincyMajic Mojo Tradename..........Created By Classic30inCincyGraduate Of Joe Friday / Dragnet School Of CorrespondenceDoctorate Degree Diplomacy From Royal Order Possum Lodge

PAF Classic Series Tube Kit.......Created By Classic30inCincyMajic Mojo Tradename..........Created By Classic30inCincyGraduate Of Joe Friday / Dragnet School Of CorrespondenceDoctorate Degree Diplomacy From Royal Order Possum Lodge

Yes I already asked about the tubes and the 112 has Rubys in the power section and EHs in the pre. The 212 has Rubys and JJs. Now I have read much better reviews on the JJ compared to the EH and I guess the Rubys are just a middle of the road type tube. I will probably change the tubes somewhere down the line but for right now I want to figure out why the 2 amps sound so far apart? I've played the Egnater Renegade 112 and 212 in a side by side comparison when I bought the 112 and heard a big difference there because the 212 has 2 different speakers from the factory. But still they were characteristicly the same amp. The VKs aren't even close, not to say the 212 sounds bad, it just doesn't sound like the 112 does with my Strat. I think they should sound closer to the same with the 212 maybe being more broad and open. Moving more air.

I'm wondering how much difference a transformer change would make? Is it the power difference? Maybe, the body controls (reso/pres)? Has anybody else heard a major difference between these 2 amps or is it me? Is it really an upgrade to change the trans and add a choke? Does anybody have experience with these parts and what do they do exactly?

I would really like to make this amp part of my live rig, I think its a great amp, sort of a "Twin" hybrid. I would like to use the Strat with it exclusively. Any ideas? Thank You.

PAF Classic Series Tube Kit.......Created By Classic30inCincyMajic Mojo Tradename..........Created By Classic30inCincyGraduate Of Joe Friday / Dragnet School Of CorrespondenceDoctorate Degree Diplomacy From Royal Order Possum Lodge

The VK112 doesn't have a choke either, why would you want to add a choke? If you want to redo the power section of this you'll run into trouble with the low voltage supplies.

You may be underestimating the difference a couple of power tubes makes, can you borrow the 112 from your friend again, and try a couple of things.

Plug into the VK112, connect it's effects send to the VK212's effects return, plug an empty jack into the VK112's return. You have now connected the preamp of the 112 to the power amp of the 212, how does it sound, closer to what you want?

Do the reverse, connect the effects send of the VK212 to the effects return of the 112, plug an empty jack into the VK212's return, plug your guitar into the 212. You are now using the preamp of the 212 with the power section of the 112, hows it sound, closer to what you want?

If the first method gets you closer to the sound, you want to be looking at the pre tubes in the 112 and getting the same ones, with the same gain structures in the 212.

If the second method gets you closer to the sound, you maybe want to pop a couple of those power tubes out, and run the head at 50W, but after several stories I've read on here, I'm checking the heater wiring, and it looks like you'll have to make a couple of dummy tubes, where you just connect the heating elements but snip the pins for the plate and grids, as the power tubes appear to have their heaters wired in series. Worry about that if you get to it.

Also, I don't think I'm underestimating how much the difference in power can change the tone, I'm think I'm not fully understanding what a choke does for the tone exactly. What I've read online so far is kinda unclear and confusing because it may be just a sales pitch. Certainly I would rather not change anything in the power section but if there are differences there from the factory, then that may be what i'm hearing. I want to keep the amp as original as possible. I will try your suggestion though, sounds ineresting.

I tried linking the 2 amps as Hemi suggested and learned alot about the amp I have. The 212 sounded great running throught the 112 but not so much the other way around. So, I started checking for signs of wear in the chassis for what reason I don't know. Maybe I thought I would run across something obvious and wouldn't you know, I did. The VK212 has a pair of really old speakers in it that I can't even read the brand of. The lables are paper stickers and have faded something awful so I can't make out anything other than the ohms (16). I'm not even sure if these are guitar speakers. I have 2 16ohm Celestion G1275s that I pulled out of a Marshall cab years ago, stuck them in there and 2-1/2 hours later this strat player is liking this amp alot.

I think I will order some new speakers soon as I don't really care for the tinty sound of these but what a difference. WOW! Needless to say, I am very stoked about the possibilities of this amp after the speaker and tube changes. I have a Eminence Red Coat Guv'nor in my Egnater maybe I'll start there.

PAF Classic Series Tube Kit.......Created By Classic30inCincyMajic Mojo Tradename..........Created By Classic30inCincyGraduate Of Joe Friday / Dragnet School Of CorrespondenceDoctorate Degree Diplomacy From Royal Order Possum Lodge

I have a VK112. I have changed out the pre amp & power tubes. The pre amp tubes were what CharlieP recommends, if I remember they were:V1 Tung-sol 12ax7 R.I..V2 Penta 12ax7 V3 Sovtec 12ax7 LPS I did the power tubes first, cause when I got the amp they were about shot, and I put JJ's in. I'm happy with them, but next time will probably go with TAD 6L6WGC-STR. The pre amps made a bigger change and I'm glad I found this forum.

However, possibly the best change I made was removing the stock speaker and installing a WGS Retro 30. It is brighter, more midrangy, more articulate and louder than the stock speaker. I cannot tell you how much better it made the amp sound!

So, I've made this lowly Chinese made Valveking my gigging amp...and not had one complaint. As I recall I got it in a trade with a value of roughly $300, I've dropped about $125 in it. It sounds great, cuts through, and I'd say it's on par with a lot of amps costing 2 & 3 times as much.